Fleas may not be a major issue during the cold months, but when the weather warms up, the fleas come out, and they’re ready to feed (on you, your pet, and other forms of wildlife)! But these pests can also live 100 days without a blood meal; after those 100 days, you can just about imagine how hungry they’ll be when they finally do eat!
While a flea infestation is probably a thought that you don’t want to picture in your head, it’s important to understand the habits and behaviors of fleas, especially if you have pets or if you’re an outdoorsy person. Having a better understanding will help you safeguard yourself and your pets.
If you think you may have a flea infestation in your Akron home or yard, you need to contact your local Akron home pest control experts to get ahead of the spread before it becomes a serious health concern.
Is This A Flea?
People often confuse fleas and ticks because they both suck blood from a host to survive. But despite that particular similarity, fleas and ticks are two different species of insects and have different physical features.
Here’s how to properly identify a flea:
- Dark brown, flat, hard bodies
- Can grow to 1/18 of an inch long
- Wingless
- Long, strong back legs for jumping from host to host (as high as 8 inches! Yikes!)
Fleas can be hard to see with the naked eye, but if you look closely, they’re visible. One of the best ways to tell if you have a flea infestation is to check yourself and your pets. Are they scratching a lot? Are they losing hair on certain parts of their bodies? Do you have tiny flea bites on your ankle? If you notice any of these signs from your pets, get them to the vet and call us immediately for proper flea treatment.
Fleas In Akron Can Be Dangerous
Fleas are dangerous. Did you know that fleas are the most known common spreader of the bubonic plague? If the itchiness from flea bites isn’t enough, these pests are also known to spread tungiasis, murine typhus, and tularemia as well.
On pets, they can transfer tapeworms, cat scratch fever, and cause your pets to become anemic. To better care for yourself and your pets, flea control is a must to keep you and your fur babies healthy.
Six Ways To Keep The Fleas Away
From cleaning techniques to natural deterrents, once a flea infestation has been removed, these flea prevention measures will keep them away.
- Use a steam cleaner for mattresses and carpets.
- Put up fencing to ward off wildlife from entering your yard.
- Spray nematodes in your yard.
- Sprinkle cedar chips in your yard.
- Keep your lawn cut regularly.
- Wear protective clothing when out in nature.
All of these preventive measures will do wonders in keeping a flea-free home. Just remember consistency is key here. Once we’ve done flea treatments, you’ll want to start these preventive measures to maintain your home.
How To Get Fleas Out Of Your Home For Good
It’s practically impossible to completely remove an entire flea infestation on your own just for the simple fact that fleas can be hard to see, let alone trying to figure out the source of your fleas.
At Epcon Lane, we’ve seen our fair share of flea infestations, so we have all the proper equipment as well as residential and commercial pest treatment options to remove fleas from your home effectively. Simply give us a call today to set up your inspection.